In all honesty I first volunteered for his campaign out of pure boredom. I had this 4 hour time chunk in the middle of my day that needed to be filled. Plus, someone I know from high school is working as his political director, so connecting to his campaign was a piece of cake. I didn't do it out of a love for Patrick, I just did it to fill time.
So for the past few weeks I've been updating data bases, meeting with campaign staff, and helping at events. It's been a mix of some mundane tasks (read: data bases) along with more exciting stuff (meeting Patrick and caucusing). About two weeks ago I helped Patrick caucus at a nearby middle school; campaign staff spent all day (from 11am to 7pm) getting people to sign an election ballot petition and spreading the word about his credentials. I also got the chance to meet Patrick for the first time- he's a soft spoken, mild mannered, intelligent guy. He does not have a flaring hot temper; he has a gentle and kind nature. This was my first impression of Patrick and it hasn't changed.
In order to caucus for a candidate you need to know something about him. I learned that Patrick is a health care attorney, leader of the Progressive Caucus in Richmond, and a legislator that has put many important bills to vote. He deals with housing, disabilities, health care reform, and mental health. The latter issue speaks to my heart; I fervently believe that federal and state governments need a paradigm shift in the way they approach mental illnesses.
Yesterday I was at the Arlington Commissioner of Revenue's house to prepare for Patrick's campaign kickoff today. We spoke about what makes politicians electable- especially at the state and local level. She emphasized personality attributes- in other words, how you treat people and talk to them stands out above all other components of your campaign. I couldn't help but look back on Patrick's demeanor at the Arlington County caucus. I can't imagine Patrick yelling at anyone or developing a temper over trivial things. I think this personality attribute would stand out on Capitol Hill, where legislators across the aisle fight incessantly over petty issues instead of calmly reaching agreement on necessary political measures. This does not mean that Patrick lacks passion, rather, he seemed fired up about hot issues at the campaign kickoff.
That's my personal take on Patrick's campaign. I started working for him out of boredom; now I'm becoming more passionate about electing him by the day. Other people have different views, but here's what I think differentiates Patrick from others in his field. In other words, this is why I think you should elect Patrick Hope to office:
- Personality: as I said before, Patrick has a gentle approach to dealing with people. He engages you in conversation and seems to care about what you say. He seems like a compromiser; this will play out on Capitol Hill. He won't get into heated battles over small things. He won't approach issues angrily. He'll approach them with integrity.
- Legislative Experience: some candidates run on a few legislative wins. Patrick runs on many victories- even right now, he's successfully winning over a mental health bill that will require colleges to emphasize mental health resources and provide guidance on how to spot signs of depression, anxiety, and self-destructive behavior
- Youth: Patrick's political director emphasize this point with me. Basically, Patrick is a young politician, so if he enters office as a congressman he'll have plenty of time to develop seniority, which is important considering committee assignments. Other candidates such as Don Beyer are much older; they won't be able to reach Patrick's potential seniority status.
If you want to volunteer for Patrick, or help out in any other way (financial contributions, etc..), you can send an email to info@hopeforcongress.com, or visit his webpage at hopeforcongress.com. I highly recommend helping this talented politician win the 8th district. It's well worth your time and effort. Go Patrick!
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